Handle



T. LAMB HANDLE Jan. 10, 1950 Filed'Jan. 22, 1947 INVENTOR if B p ad ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 10, 1950 TAT ES PATENT OFFl CE Thomas Lamb, New York, 'N.Y. Application January 22, 1947, Serial No. 723,500 ,5 Claims. -(,Cl. .292-f347) This i ve tion re ates t handle and pe ain particularly to torque eh nd es by means of which toroue o itwist,..e o tu nin force may be applied to an obi-est by t e h m n hand to turn it around an axis o ro t on to resist such tu n -tie e o which the principles of the invention may be applied are .door knobs, halve hand es, ianee no s or handles, dial knobsnr handles, :tpol handles and the like. other common artic es, :no u a referred to as handles, but o which t principles of. the invention may a so be ap lied a s, covers and other ozlosiimsv fo ott es, a s, containers and the like where torque is required to open or close the sam It is an object of 11 3 invention to provide a handle which is so constructed. taking into consi on the anatomy o th hnmanhand and its functionin as enable h han 1 111 tion more efficiently in erformin turning .or twisting operati nshat is. the handle is SO constructed a o e abl th hand toa n y reater torque with the same apparen effier or th same torque with less ,apnarehtefiort- R duction of fatigue and disco niort are also important objectives.

Other objects and advanta es of the inven ion will appear hereinafter.

A prefer-red embodiment of the, invention Selected for purposes of illustration is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a top-plan view. .and.=Figure s-2 and 3 are front and side elevations, respectively, of a handle embodying the invention.

Figure 4 is a top plan view, and

Figures ,5 and 6 are front and side elevations, respectively, of a modified form .of handle.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to applied to a handle comprising a cylindrical body I which issymmetrical with respect to an axis of rotation 2 extending longitudinally therethrough. Preferably the outer end surface 3 of the handle is rounded .conyexly .tp seat comfortably in the palm of the and the inner end surface 4 from which the shaft or spindle 5 projects may be flat or otherwise shaped depending on the use to which the handle is --to be put.

h o te P i er ur a e o h bQd-y l is provided with an undulating groove 6 e tendin entirely around the axis of r tion, which said r ove in e e ent. ihust d in Fies 1, 2 and 3 is V-shaped in cross section in order to provide a wedging action on the thumb and fingers as they grasp the handle.

The peaks I of the undulating curve formed by the intersection of the upper edge of the groove and the outer periphery of the handle lie tangent to a plane of reference 8, while the Figures 1, 2 and .3, the invention is illustrated as troughs 1 of the undulating curve formed by the intersection of the lower ,edge of the groove and the outer periphery of the handle lie tangent to a spaced plane of reference 8'. Said planes of reference extend through the body 1 in directions perpendicular to the axis of rotation, and the points of tangency' of said .peaks and trou hs with said planes of reference are evenly spaced around said axis of rotation at angles which are even parts of 360", as in the present case, suce sive p ints o anse y aresnaced at I h num o c m te u dulat on is in eas from two, as shown, to three, however, the numbe i o n s of an ents ould b in ased to si wh c ai oint wou b s aced a a g e o 60- Likewise, if the umber of comp e-1 hdulat ons s increa ed to tour, the e wou d b ei t poin f a eney spaced at 45- illh s lection o the des d num e o comp t undulations depends on the size of the handle and h u e t w h i is to be put,- Lilsewis -the use t whi h the hand s to be put dete mines h wid h and d pth of t u dulating groove as well as the pitchof the undulations, i. e. the steepness of the curves of the undulations as indicated by ,the distance between the planes ,of reference 8,18. For example, for a valve handle, two complete undulations .of :fairly .steeppitch may be desirable. .On the other hand, for a jar cover, three or four complete undulations of shallow pitch may give better results.

The shape of the body 1 may also be varied as desired. Thus, the basic shape of the peripheral surface of the body within which the groove is 1 formed maybe not only circular as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, but may be elliptical, square or diamond shaped, for example. In cases such as an elliptical or diamond shape, however, in

- which one transverse dimension, measured at a plane of reference, is longer than the other, I have found it advantageous to shape the body in such manner that, considering the body as divided into two sections by the undulating groove, the longest transverse dimension of each section, mea sure d at its plane of reference, intersects the longest transverse dimension of the other section, measured at its plane of reference, at a right angle.

Thus, referring to Figures 4,5 and ,6, I have illustrated a modified form of handle in which the basic form of .the body I] is elliptical, and in which the elliptical form is again symmetrical with respect tothe axis of rotation 2 The peripheral surface of said body is provided with an undulating groove l6 consisting of two complete undulations, said groove being substantially U-shaped and extending entirely around the axis of rotation l2. As before, the peaks l1 and troughs ll of the undulating curves lie tangent fort.

intersects the major axis of the ellipse taken at the plane of reference l8 in the lower section at a right angle.

As before, the outer endsurface I3 is rounded convexly'and all adjoining and -meeting surfaces may be faired into each other'toeliminate sharp corners and ridges. V

In handles constructed in accordance with the present invention the undulating groove is shaped to receive the thumb and fingers and the undulations provide surfaces against which the thumb and fingers may exert relatively heavy pressure without slipping and without discom- 'It will be understood that the invention may be variously modified and embodied within the scope of the subjoined claims. I claim as my invention: 1. A torque handle comprising a body which symmetrical with respect to an axis of rotation extending longitudinally therethrough, the outer V thumb and fingers to provide surfaces which are inclined to the direction of thrust of the thumb and fingers in the turning of the handleand L against which the thumb and fingers may exert pressure.

[2.A torque handle comprising a body which is symmetrical with respect to an axis of rotation extending longitudinally therethrough, the outer peripheral surface of said body having an undulating groove formed therein extending entirely around said axis of rotation, said groove dividing said body into two sections, each of which is substantially elliptical in transverse cross section, with the major axis of each e1- lipse intersecting the major axis of the other e1- lipse at a right angle, said groove being of sufficient width and depth to receive the thumb and fingers to provide surfaces against which the thumb and fingers may exert pressure.

3. A torque handle comprising a body which is symmetrical with respect to an axis of rotation extending longitudinally therethrough, the outer peripheral surface of said body having an undulating groove formed therein extending entirely around 'said axis of rotation with the peaks of the undulating curve formed by the intersection of the upper edge of the groove with the periphery of the handle and the troughs of the undulating curve formed by the intersection riphery of the handle lying tangent to spaced planes of reference extending through said body in directions perpendicular to said axis of'rotation, the points of tangency of said peaks and troughs to said planes of reference being evenly spaced around said 'axis of rotation atangles which are even parts of 360, said groove being of sufficient width and depth to receive the thumb and fingers to provide surfaces which are of the lower edge of the groove with the pe- Number inclined to the direction of thrust of the thumb and fingers in the turning of the handle and against which the thumb and fingers may exert pressure.

4. Atorque handle comprising a body which is symmetrical with respect to an axis of rotation extending longitudinally therethrough, the outer peripheral surface of said body having an undulating groove formed therein extending entirely around said axis of rotation with the peaks of the undulating curve formed by the intersection of the upper edge of the groove with the periphery of the handle and the troughs of the undulating curve formed by the intersection of the'lower edge of thegroove with the periphery of the handle lying tangent to spaced planes of reference extending through said body in directions perpendicular to said axis of rotation,

-said groove dividing said body into two sections, 20"

each of which, at its respective plane of reference, is substantially elliptical in shape, with the major axis of each ellipse intersecting the major axis of the other ellipse at a right angle, the points of tangency of said peaks and troughs to said planes of reference being spaced around said axis of rotation at intervals of said groove being of suiiicientwidth and depth to receive the thumb and fingers to provide surfaces against which the'thumb and fingers may exert pressure. I v

5. A torque handle comprising a body which is symmetrical with respect to an axis of rotation extending longitudinally therethrough, the outer each of which, at its respective plane of reference, is longer in one dimension than in the other, with the longest dimension of each section intersecting the longest dimension of the other section at a right angle, the points of tangency of said peaks and troughs to said planes of reference being spaced around said axis of'rotation at intervals of 90, said groove being of sufiicient width and depth to receive the thumb and fingers to provide surfaces against which the thumb and fingers may exert pressure.

7 THOMAS LAMB.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of. record in the file of this patent: j'

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 348,494 Hollenbeck Aug. 31, 1886 730,705 Roberts June 9, 1903 2,021,158 Stearns Nov. 19, 1935 2,188,532 Dominguez Jan. 30, 1940 2,263,885 McGauley Nov. 25, 1941 

